Seagate GoFlex shows off Slimmest Portable Hard Drive and More

Seagate got the memo: Thin is in, and that’s not all! Seagate has just announced a few new additions to their popular GoFlex line at CES 2011, including one of the thinnest portable hard drives the world has seen.

Seagate’s GoFlex line, which we are quite fond of, is named for it’s flexibility. Each drive has a removable connection plug that allows the user to switch between USB 2.0, USB 3.0, FireWire, or powered eSATA connection. They also sell products like the GoFlex Net and GoFlex TV Media Player where GoFlex mounts into the device, like a cartridge. GoFlex drives are compatible with both Mac and Windows. Last night, Seagate announced a few new additions to the GoFlex lineup including a super-thin drive and specially formatted drives for Macs. They also announced that they are now certifying third party vendors to incorporate slots in their products that support GoFlex removable hard drives.

The Thin GoFlex is just 9mm thick, which is thinner than iPhone 4, and 38% thinner than current GoFlex ultra-portable drives. Thin GoFlex is a 2.5” USB 3.0 drive, so it is not just super-slim, it’s fast! USB 3.0 has ten times the transfer speeds of USB 2.0. It’s portable, fast, and also sexy in its black brushed aluminum enclosure with tuxedo black lining. The Thin GoFlex is expected to be available in Spring 2011 starting at a capacity of 320GB; we can be sure to see higher capacities shortly after its release.

Currently, all GoFlex drives are compatible with Mac computers, but since they are not HFS+ formatted out-of-the-box, they will not work with Apple’s Time Machine. GoFlex has just announced their new collection of GoFlex for Mac external drives. These new drives are completely compatible with Time Machine while also being compatible with Windows computers. All GoFlex for Mac products come bundled with FireWire 800 and USB adapters/cables. Because it’s “GoFlex”, it offers the expandability to upgrade to a USB 3.0 or powered eSATA interface. The new GoFlex for Mac External Drive lineup includes 4 new drives. The ultra-portables come in 1TB and 1.5TB for $199.99 and $249.99, respectively. There’s a 1TB Limited Edition ultra-portable drive which is even thinner than the regular ultra-portable, it will retail for $199.99. There’s a GoFlex Pro for Mac ultra portable which sports a 7200RPM drive in 500GB and 750GB capacities for $149.99 and $179.99. Lastly there is the GoFlex Desk for Mac drive which is a desktop external drive that sits horizontally or vertically on your workspace. This drive complements Apple’s industrial/chic appearance perfectly. It’s available in 2TB and 3TB capacities for $219.99 and $279.99, respectively.

To bring even more value to the GoFlex line, Seagate announced that they are certifying Third-Party Manufacturers to build slots into their products to support the removable GoFlex external drives. The possibilities of GoFlex integration are endless; it could be easily integrated into TV’s, media players, set-top boxes, computers, cars–anything! Currently to attach a hard drive to these types of devices you need to plug in a hard drive as an auxiliary item with a flimsy USB cable connecting the two devices. GoFlex has the ability to be used like a cartridge so it will become one with the device it’s connecting to.